The media has inundated us with information about the recent incident between pop superstars Chris Brown and Rihanna.

While there is debate from all sides, it is clear that Rihanna has no intention of ending the relationship at the present time. While I wish that I could be shocked by this choice, I believe it embodies the course of action that the typical teen girl takes today. With some statistics finding that as many as 1 in 4 teen relationships is abusive, how can we be surprised that even celebrities are proving the validity of the unfortunate numbers?

At our SAGE events two years ago, we included an entire segment during our dating session entitled Red Flags in which we tried to uncover some of the warning signs of an abusive relationship. So many of the girls who attended could relate to one or more of the red flags based on personal relationship experiences. If we do not continue in our efforts to highlight this violent epidemic and educate girls about the warning signs, I fear that we will be faced with the issue far closer to home than an Entertainment Tonight report on teen pop stars.

Q&A: Have you encountered girls in abusive relationships within your student ministry? If so, how did you respond?